- UNESCO Recognition to Gujarat’s Garba Dance –
- Recently, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), during its 18th session of the Intergovernmental Committee in Botswana, officially added Gujarat’s iconic Garba dance to its esteemed Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity.
- The Garba dance form is the 15th cultural item from India to make it to the UNESCO list. Kolkata’s Durga Puja was the last one added in 2021.
- Garba is a form of Gujarati folk dance that is performed during the nine-day Hindu festival of Navratri, which celebrates the victory of good over evil.
- The name Garba comes from the Sanskrit word for womb, implying life and creation.
- The dance also customarily marks a girl’s first menstrual cycle and, later, her imminent marriage.
- The dance is performed around a centrally lit lamp or a picture or statue of the Goddess Shakti,who represents the feminine energy of the universe.
- Google Unveils Project Gemini –
- Google has introduced project Gemini, an artificial intelligence (AI) model designed to exhibit human-like behavior.
- This development is expected to fuel the ongoing AI race and raise debates about the potential benefits and risks of the technology.
- Gemini aims to enhance Google’s AI-powered chatbot Bard’s intuitiveness and efficiency in tasks, particularly those involving planning.
- Google DeepMind, the AI division behind Gemini, emphasizes the model’s problem-solving skills in math and physics, offering potential scientific breakthroughs.
- Concerns exist regarding the potential impact of AI on job displacement, misinformation amplification, and even triggering destructive behavior.
- NCRB’s Crime in India 2022 Report –
- The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has recently unveiled its annual report titled “Crime in India for 2022,” providing a comprehensive overview of crime trends across the nation.
- A total of over 58,00,000 cognizable crimes were registered, comprising both the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Special & Local Laws(SLL) crimes.
- The registration of cases witnessed a 4.5% decline compared to 2021.
- The crime rate per lakh population dropped from 445.9 in 2021 to 422.2 in 2022.
- This decline is considered a more reliable indicator, considering the impact of population growth on absolute crime numbers.
- Kolkata emerged as the safest city in India for the third consecutive year,recording the least number of cognisable offences per lakh population among metropolises.Pune (Maharashtra) and Hyderabad (Telangana) secured the second and third positions, respectively.
- Cybercrime reporting surged by 24.4%, totalling 65,893 cases, a significant surge from 52,974 cases in 2021.Cyber fraud constituted the majority of cases (64.8%) of registered cases, followed by extortion (5.5%), and sexual exploitation (5.2%).
- In 2022, India witnessed a significant surge in suicides, totalling over 1.7 Lakh cases, reflecting a concerning increase of 4.2% compared to 2021.
- Major causes included ‘Family Problems,’ ‘Marriage Related Problems,’ Bankruptcy and indebtedness, ‘Unemployment and professional issues’ and Illness’.Maharashtra reported the highest number of suicides, followed closely by Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Telangana.
- The Crime in India report highlighted an overall increase in crimes and atrocities against Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) persons.
- A total of 4,45,256 cases of crime against women were reported in 2022, marking a 4% increase from 2021.
- Cases of crimes against children showed an increase of 8.7% compared to 2021. A majority of these cases related to kidnapping and abduction (45.7%) and 39.7% were filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
- Cases of crimes against senior citizens rose by 9.3% to 28,545 cases compared to 26,110 cases in 2021. A bulk of these cases (27.3%) related to hurt followed by theft (13.8%) and forgery, cheating, and fraud (11.2%).